Existentialism and Christianity in Middle-Earth
by Chiara Cadrich
Summary: Essay. How can existentialism coexist with the deep Christian inspirations of the Lord of the Rings? To what extent do the works depicting Arda, belong to one or the other?
1. Introduction

**Existentialism and Christianity in Middle-Earth.**

 **Chiara Cadrich – September 2017 – V1.7**

Introduction

The Lord of the Rings continues to find enthusiastic new fans year after year. Because a great work is addressed to several generations, all of which can discover it many times.

It has matured for me in the course of my readings, revealing facets and double bottoms, echoes and smokescreens. The thrill of adventure, the attachment to the characters, the depth of the myth, the Christian roots in filigree, the charm of creative languages, the scale of the epic, the moral strength of the heroes, and again moments of grace and enchantment...

After the repeated bookstores success, then the Hollywood consecration, extended by the Hobbit trilogy, fan-fictions have taken up the matter. At the same time, researchers have devoted themselves to sophisticated explorations of the legendary - religious foundations, Freudian prism, existentialist influences, or even the initiatory trajectory of the millennials generation.

Undoubtedly these analyzes, chill somehow the magic of the first reading. But some strong themes of the work, such as commitment, responsibility, despair, freedom, etc. definitely contribute to its depth.

So here is a short reflection about these themes, in Pr. Tolkien's work: how can existentialism coexist with the deep Christian inspirations of the Lord of the Rings? To what extent do the works depicting Arda1, belong to one or the other?

 **Acknowledgments:** A friendly wave at Syrene-T, Old-Girl-NoraArlani and NoctisLucisXV for their selflessness and a huge thank you for their attentive and fruitful rereading!

 **Notes**

1 Middle-Earth


	2. Cosmology and destiny of the world

**Existentialism and Christianity in Middle-Earth.**

 **Chiara Cadrich – September 2017 – V1.7**

Cosmology and destiny of the world

The Christian tradition, shared with all the Abrahamic religions, evokes the creation of the world, the revolt of Lucifer1, the shaping of Adam and Eve.2 The end of Christian times is centered on the Last Judgement 3, in which the world is destroyed and the souls of the dead called to appear one last time before the divine tribunal. The destiny of the Christian world is therefore perfectly settled, albeit at an undetermined time.

Atheist existentialism4, on the other hand, admits of no cosmology, which would imply a transcendent design, a history bearing a meaning. At best, Christian destiny is seen as a myth, elaborated by the contingency of our societies. The shackles of traditional or religious values and the illusion of destiny lead man to go with the flow and to defer any definite action, hindering the voluntary choice of an active individual morality. In the atheist existentialist perspective, no one wanted nor conceived the human being. Fate expects him not.

Obviously, the Christian tradition has directly influenced Tolkien's cosmogony - the music of the Ainur5, the revolt of Melkor, and so on. This music exposes the themes planned for the creation, thus initiating its destiny, foretold from all eternity. But the original intention is modified by the revolt of Melkor, and the creation is tainted. Then, grave acts, collective faults - the massacre of Elves by Elves - further aggravate the fate of Ilùvatar's children. The parallel with Lucifer and the original sin is immediate.

As in the Christian world, the accomplishment, the ultimate end meant by Eru, is unknown by all his children, as well as the Valar6, who are yet charged with implementing his initial will. Thus the latter hesitate between the desire to help the Free Peoples and the need to punish their faults.

In the Silmarillion, the Valar at war with Morgoth, take few discreet action while preparing their ultimate intervention, despite the banishment of the Noldor who were guilty of an odious slaughter. The Vala Ulmo7 inspires Turgon, then Tuor, then Eärendil, without ever withdrawing his attention from the waters of the river Sirion. _"But behold!" said he, "in the armour of Fate (as the Children of Earth name it) there is ever a rift, and in the walls of Doom a breach, until the full-making, which ye call the End. So it shall be while I endure, a secret voice that gainsayeth, and a light where darkness was decreed. Therefore, though in the days of this darkness I seem to oppose the will of my brethren, the Lords of the West, that is my part among them, to which I was appointed ere the making of the World. Yet Doom is strong, and the shadow of the Enemy lengthens, and I am diminished, until in Middle-earth I am become now no more than a secret whisper. The waters that run westward wither, and their springs are poisoned, and my power withdraws from the land, for Elves and Men grow blind and deaf to me because of the might of Melkor. And now the Curse of Mandos hastens to its fulfilment, and all the works of the Noldor shall perish, and every hope which they build shall crumble. The last hope alone is left, the hope that they have not looked and have not prepared. And that hope lieth in thee, for so I have chosen._ "8 The final victory of the Valar remains the only possible way of salvation. However, uncertainty arises as to when the misconduct will be sufficiently redeemed to trigger their intervention.

Tolkien repeatedly tells us that evil, driven by the desire for power or destruction, can turn against itself - Theoden " _Oft evil will shall evil mar._ "9, or Gandalf " _A traitor may betray himself and do good that he does not intend._ "10 This is another way to portray chance in destiny. And of course, the whole quest would have been a fiasco, without the ultimate treachery of Gollum the criminal, who betrays himself in the end. The announcement of the final role of Gollum is prepared very early in the fiction: _«Well, well, he is gone, said Gandalf. We have no time to seek for him again. He must do what he will. But he may play a part yet that neither him nor Sauron have foreseen.11 »_

In the Lord of the Rings, at the end of the third age, the dwindling of the Eldar and the advent of Men seem obvious to the Elven lords. It is unknown whether Men will live free or enslaved. This is the reason why the Valar send the wizards (Istari) to Middle-earth, to galvanize resistance against the Dark Lord. But their right of interfering appears to be very limited, as if Eru's initial will, over the ages, had left an increasing place to the responsibility and autonomy of men, attesting in some way the thesis that "God has died".

Thus the games are not played. Yet the plot is dotted with signs, which can be interpreted as an encouragement of the heroes, as a "boost" from the Valar and as an announcement of destiny. The premonitory dreams of Faramir and Boromir, for example, unveil salvation and push to action all at once. The Seeing Stones (Palantiri) and the mirror of Galadriel reveal possible futures to those who can master them. The flowers of a climbing plant form a gold-illuminated crown on the head of an old statue at crossroads in Ithilien during the passage of Frodo and Sam, announcing the victory and the return of the king. A little later, after the episode of the capture of the corsair fleet, Legolas perceives a change of direction in the winds of destiny, which will prove a decisive element of the victory, depriving the orcs of darkness and bringing the reinforcements embarked in Lebennin. " _Up with your beard, Durin's son, he said, For thus is it spoken: Oft hope is born, when all is forlorn!_ ".12. The Tolkienian legendarium is full of small and large prophecies (the predictions of Malbeth the dunadan seer, the reforging of Narsil / Anduril, etc.) which reinforce the hold of destiny without reducing individual freedom or merit.

Yet destiny does not seem to lead to a precise goal, but rather to a potentiality, handed over to the human beings at the beginning of the fourth age, collectively. Ilùvatar said: _"These too in their time shall find that all that they do redounds at the end only to the glory of my work."_ _13_ But he revealed his intentions to strictly no one.

And the two ancient races, Elves and Dwarfs, debate what might come out of it:

 _Gimli: "It is ever so with the things that Men begin: there is a frost in Spring or a blight in Summer, and they fail of their promise._

 _Yet seldom do they fail of their seed, sail Legolas. And that will lie in the dust and rot to spring up again in times and places unlooked-for. The deeds of Men will outlast us,_

– _And yet come to naught in the end but might-have-beens, I guess, said the Dwarf._

 _\- To that the Elves know not the answer, said Legolas."14_

The future is left explicitly open, without the shadow of any destiny.

 **Notes**

1 _"How thou hast fallen from the sky, hêylêl the son of the dawn! How thou wast overthrown to the earth, tamer of the nations! Thou saidst in thine heart, "I will ascend into heaven above the stars of God, I will build my throne, I will sit on the mountain of the meeting, in the depths of the North. I will ascend to the heights of the clouds, I will be equal to the Most-High."_ The Bible, hebrew text translated by the members of the French Rabbins under the lead of Chief Rabbi Zadoc Kahn, edition 1994, page 774

2 Book of Genesis, chapters I & II

3 « _Then I saw a great white throne, and the one sitting there. The earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and their place could not be found any more. I saw also the dead, great and small, standing before God, and the books were opened. Another book was also opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, according to what was written in the books.»_ New Testament, Apocalypse, Book of Revelation of St John

4 Text of the conference « L'Existentialisme est un humanisme » in 1946, Jean-Paul Sartre.

5 The Silmarillion, Ainulindalë. The Ainur are minor angels in the cosmology of Tolkien. Melkor is the greatest of the major angels.

6 A Vala, pl. Valar : the « Powers », equivalents of major angels in the cosmology of Tolkien : the most exalted creatures, engendered by the thought of the Creator, and who are in charge to set up the world.

7 The Vala of waters. Turgon is an elven King, Tuor and Eärendil are heros.

8 Unfinished Tales, I, 1, Of Tuor and his coming to Gondolin

9 The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, Book III Chapter Eleven - The Palantir

10 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book V Chapter Four – The Siege of Gondor.

11 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, Chapter Two - The Council of Elrond.

12 The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, Book V Chapter Nine – The last Debate

13 The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion Chapter One – Of the Beginning of Days.

14 The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, Book V Chapter Nine – The last Debate


	3. Predestination

**Existentialism and Christianity in Middle-Earth.**

 **Chiara Cadrich – September 2017 – V1.7**

Predestination and individual destiny

In the existentialist perspective1, Man is condemned to be free, otherwise he remains prostrate before the absence of god, or enslaved of the conventions established to mask this void. Of course, there are all kinds of contingencies (political, temporal, geographical, social, cultural, familial, economic, sexual, etc.), but none of these influences should be considered definitive. Man must do something about these constraints, or in spite of these contingencies.

In the Christian universe, the original fault2 weighs heavily on Man and especially on Woman. However, the redemption of the soul is accessible to everyone, thanks to the help of the saints, obedience to the church and the mildness of the Creator. Although God, omniscient, knows the end of all things, and that His will is inevitable - _"I, the Lord, declare it. You are in my hands like clay in the hands of the potter."_ _3_ \- the believer is encouraged to gain here his eternal life.

In Middle-Earth, the struggle of Good against Evil is not manichean. _"For nothing is evil in the beginning: even Sauron was not so._ "4 Says Elrond. This is true for all the evil champions: Melkor, Sauron, Saruman, Gollum, etc. Therefore redemption is also possible. For example, Boromir succumbs but redeems himself, albeit at the cost of his life.

Turin Turambar, a hero of the first age whose Quenya name means precisely "Master of destiny", finds himself stuck in a curse that leads him to transgress the strongest taboos of the human race: stealing his friend's beloved, murder, incest, etc. This cursed hero sees all his choices turned into infamies, which end with his last sin: suicide. In return, his cousin Tuor, a hero too, enjoys an extended state of grace, which will ultimately bring salvation to Elves and Men.

The high deeds, though heroic, are only episodes in the struggle against evil. As Gandalf says: " _(…) starting is too great a claim for any, and that only a small part is played by great deeds by any hero_."5 Sometimes the exploits of the hero prove to be without success: " _Follow what may, great deeds are not lessened in worth."6_ The modest hero Frodo, on whom rests the burden, is prepared by trials going crescendo, is accompanied from the beginning to the end, and often saved from the catastrophe by the abnegation of Sam.

The glorious heroes, for their part, engage all their people, for the better and more often for the worse, especially when they are kings. Thus Turgon hides his whole suite at the bottom of a gorge, not to be found for centuries. Feänor precipitates his whole people into a desperate revolt. In the Lord of the Rings, the weaknesses of Denethor and Theoden make their peoples stagger. Conversely, the half-Elf Eärendil reverses fate in the name of Elves and Men. Legolas, Gimli and the young hobbits bear witness and represent theirs folks in the heroic tale. The action of a worthy hero, even obscure, engages his whole kind, as in existentialism acts engage responsibility before the whole human race.

The hero, under these conditions, though free, would be nothing but the transitory expression of a higher destiny. This theme even concludes the Hobbit: _"Surely you don't disbelieve the prophecies because you helped bring them about? You don't really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You're a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I'm very fond of you, but you're only quite a little fellow in a wide world, after all."7_ And yet Bilbo is the "discoverer" of the Ring and luck bearer!

Thus the ambivalence of individual freedom serving the collective destiny through personal courage, persists throughout the work. Fortunately, the hero remains free to rely on his faith, his reflection, or any other virtue. " _Let me think! said Aragorn. And now may I make the right choice and change the evil fate of this unhappy day!_ "8 Or as Hama says at Meduseld's door: " _Yet in doubt, a man of worth will trust in his own wisdom._ "9

 **Notes**

1 Text of the conference « L'Existentialisme est un humanisme » in 1946, Jean-Paul Sartre.

2 Book of Genesis, chapters 2 & 3

3 Book of Jeremiah chapter 18

4 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II Chapter Two – The Council of Elrond

5 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II Chapter Two – The Council of Elrond.

6 The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, Book V Chapter Nine – The last Debate

7 The Hobbit, Chapter Nineteen – The last Stage

8 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book III Chapter One – The Departure of Boromir

9 The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, Book III Chapter Six – The King of the Golden Hall


	4. Duty

**Existentialism and Christianity in Middle-Earth.**

 **Chiara Cadrich – September 2017 – V1.7**

Duty

In an existentialist perspective1, human duty consists in taking one's destiny in hand, making one's choices to define oneself, and assuming one's freedom. This humanist position is radically opposed to the religious duty, fixed exogenously to Man.

Indeed, the duty of the Christian is to please God, of course by respecting the commandments2, but also by nourishing his faith by the word of God, appropriating Christian values and virtues3 and carrying this word for one's peers4.

In Middle-earth, it is difficult to identify any form of creed or precept - in the broad sense of an explicit formulation of "obligations" or "guides". Of course, this does not prevent Gandalf from giving advice and precepts throughout the novel. But this leads us to seek the expression of duty, in the individual actions of the characters.

The common feature of heroes and obscure fellows seems to be dignity, the duty to behave decently, that is to say, in conformity with honor - respect for life and given word, moderation, solidarity with the family or the clan, which give meaning to one's life, often by dedicating it to others. For example, this conversation between Elrond and Gimli illustrates both the values of loyalty and leniency:

 _"- Disloyal is saying goodbye when the road becomes dark, said Gimli._

 _\- Perhaps said Elrond but do not swear to walk in the darkness, which has not seen the fall of night._

 _\- Yet given word can fortify trembling heart, said Gimli._

 _\- Or break it, said Elrond."5_

In the "medieval" societies of Rohan and Gondor, duty is contracted through a vassalage relationship. The Marshals of the March, leader of the tactical units Eored, are invariably great lords to whom lands are entrusted, presumably with the legal prerogatives attached to them. Merry swears obedience before Theoden as a vassal. Pippin also takes service with the Lord of Minas Tirith, on the basis of an oath of fidelity. In this context, duty is first defined, as the respect of the given word.

Of course, each individual imposes on himself, as a duty, many obligations that are not formulated, which are either his own deep need or the contingencies taught by the society where he has grown: to protect his relatives, to defend his honor, etc.

Frodo's self-appointed duty in Rivendell, appears as an assumed choice - he fully measures the hatred of the black horsemen, the pain, the risk and the evil appeal of the Ring. With lucidity, the hobbit freely chooses the burden - all the more freely as the council is far from the consensus to designate a bearer.

But Frodo seems mostly inspired by the love he feels for his friends and to the Shire. He is not moved by an imperious need for self-realization, nor by a scrupulous respect for the will of the Creator - a will, moreover, unformulated. He lets himself be guided by a human feeling - let us say hobbit's feeling- a kind of sacrifice for reasoned love. If we suppose that Frodo is not yet under the evil hold of the Ring, and is thus able to separate from it, we must conclude that it is a superior duty, a virtuous posture consented out of humanity.

The case of the Dunedain of Arnor, with their superhuman abnegation, seems stranger. By what mechanism can a few thousand people, with a great cohesion, exile themselves in the wilderness of the lands where they had reigned as lords, and then for thousands of years, become the stealthy but mortally effective defenders of villages and roads? Only a religious order, borne by a messianic and monastic ideal, can endure in such a great duty, with its creed (the prediction of Malbeth), an ideal sustained by hope (the rebirth of Isildur's lineage), but also a social organization that can provide both security - the secrecy of the northern rangers - and the education of the next generation.

Even on the scale of a people, duty is thus sustained by hope.

 **Notes**

1 Text of the conference « L'Existentialisme est un humanisme » in 1946, Jean-Paul Sartre.

2 Ecclesiast, 12:13

3 _« Now then these three things remain: faith, hope, charity. But the greatest of these things is charity._ » Corinthians, 13

4 _« All power has been given me in heaven and on earth. Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you every day, unto the end of the world. »_ Matthew, 28

5 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II Chapter Three – The Ring goes South


	5. Temptation

**Existentialism and Christianity in Middle-Earth.**

 **Chiara Cadrich – September 2017 – V1.7**

Temptation

In the Christian tradition, temptation is personified by the Devil1, who constantly tries to divert the Christian from the word and commandments of God, by playing on the whole range of humanity's inclinations and pushing him to sin, which is both disobedience and degradation.

Temptation, or let us say the natural slope of the human being, seen by existentialism, might reside in bad faith2, that is, one's propensity to take refuge in conventions or false constraints, to justify that circumstances or proprieties diminish one's space of freedom.

In the Lord of the Rings, temptation takes different forms, sometimes the attraction for ease - laxity avoiding personal responsibility, idleness in the face of difficult action - sometimes the greed for power.

Temptation is one of the major themes of the Lord of the Rings, of course through the corruption exercised by the Master-Ring of Sauron. Its insidious influence flatters the weaknesses and especially the desire for power, forcing everyone to betray one's own commitment. When the Ring is proposed to him, Gandalf exclaims: " _With that power, I should have power too great and terrible. And over me the Ring would gain a power still greater and more deadly. His eyes flashed and his face was lit as by a fire within. Do not tempt me! For I do not wish to become like the dark Lord himself. Yet the way of the Ring to my heart is by pity, pity for weakness and the desire of strength to do good. Do not tempt me! I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe, unused. The wish to wield it would be too great for my strength. I shall have such need of it. Great perils lie before me._ "3

Elrond and Galadriel show the same distrust, refusing to brandish this treacherous weapon. For the desire of the heart leads to complete dispossession of oneself: " _(...) he could not strike this thing lying in the dust, forlorn, ruinous, utterly wretched. He himself, though only a little while, had borne the Ring, and now dimly he guessed the agony of Gollum's shrivelled mind and body, enslaved to that Ring, unable to find peace or relief in life again. But Sam had no words to express what he felt._ _"4_

The Ring seems to annihilate any other aspect of personality, and exacerbates the desire for power and domination. In Tolkien's writings, power has a dangerous appeal, even when it is intended to serve virtue (Christian perspective), even more so when it comes to defining one's own morality (Nietzsche's perspective). For the desire for power is the quintessence of oppression: "... _But the only measure that he (Sauron) knows is desire, desire for power. And so he judges all hearts._ "5

Unlike the desire for power, there is the temptation to shirk responsibility. Faced with this fear of difficult action, the wizard shows himself very firm:

" _\- I wish it need not have happened in my time, said Frodo._

 _\- So do I, Said Gandalf, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide._

 _All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."6_

At the moment of retaking the burden, the temptation becomes immense, and the hero must impose himself in spite of the character: " _A great dread fell on him, as he was waiting the pronouncement of some doom that he had long foreseen and vainly hoped might after all never be spoken. An overwhelming longing to rest and remain at peace by Bilbo's side in Rivendell filled all his heart. At last with an effort he spoke, and wondered to hear his own words, as if some other will was using his small voice. "I will take the Ring, he said, though I do not know the way." Elrond raised his eyes and looked at him, and Frodo felt his heart pierced by the sudden keenness of the glance. "If I understand aright all I have heard, he said, I think that this task is appointed for you, Frodo, and if you do not find a way, no one will."7_

Even Gildor, close to his departure from Middle-Earth, reminds us that the temptation to flee one's responsibility is doomed to failure: _"The wide world is all about you. You can fence yourself in, but you cannot forever fence it out."_ _8_

It seems that the easiness to be tempted, is a long-established human trait: " _Ilúvatar knew that Men, being set amid the turmoils of the powers of the world, would stray often, and would not use their gifts in harmony."9_

And so, on their arrival in Lorien, Galadriel imposes a test of fidelity to the members of the fellowship, who discuss it before bedtime:

" _What did you blush for, Sam, Said Pippin. You soon broke down. Anyone would have thought you had a guilty conscience. I hope it was nothing worse than a wicked plot to steal one of my blankets. "I never thought no such thing," answered Sam, in no mood for jest. If you want to know, I felt as if I hadn't got nothing on, and I didn't like it. She seemed to be looking inside me and asking me what I would do if she gave me the chance of flying back home to the Shire to a nice little hole with – with a bit of garden of my own. (...) the choice between a shadow full of fear that lay ahead and something that he greatly desired."10_

Of course the ordeal was proportionate to the selfish ambitions of each individual. Some will remain silent about what wish has been proposed to them, whether it expresses a submission to the existentialist "bad faith", or a taste for dominance veiled by noble intentions.

 **Notes**

1 _« Then Jesus was led away by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted by the devil. 2 After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones shall become loaves. 4 Jesus answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 And the devil took him into the holy city, and placed him on the top of the temple, 6 and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, "He will give his angels orders concerning you. And they shall bear you on your hands, lest your foot strike against a stone. 7 Jesus saith unto him, It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 And the devil carried him up to a lofty mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory, 9 and said unto him, I will give thee all these things, if thou wilt bow down and worship me. 10 Jesus saith unto him, Depart, Satan. For it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and thou shalt serve him alone. 11 Then the devil left him. And behold, angels came unto Jesus, and ministered unto him_ _._ _»_ Matthew, 4

2 Text of the conference « L'Existentialisme est un humanisme » in 1946, Jean-Paul Sartre.

3 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book I Chapter Two – The Shadow of the Past.

4 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book VI, Chapter Three – Mount Doom

5 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II Chapter Two – The Council of Elrond

6 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book I Chapter Two – The Shadow of the Past.

7 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II Chapter Two - The Council of Elrond

8 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book I Chapter Three – Three is Company.

9 The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion Chapter One – Of the Beginning of Days.

10 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II Chapter Seven – The Mirror of Galadriel


	6. Morality, Good and Evil

**Existentialism and Christianity in Middle-Earth.**

 **Chiara Cadrich – September 2017 – V1.6**

 **Hope**

Existentialist freedom is a source of anguish ( _angoisse_ ) 1. For it is necessary to choose, completely free and responsible for one's choice, with the risk of engaging third parties, even the human race. Man, alone and without any hope of help in his choice (absence of God and guides), feels a form of abandonment _(délaissement)_. Moreover, it is necessary to choose, and to act, without certainty of success (despair - _désespoir_ ). Under these conditions, one's will2, firm despite despair, becomes a major virtue as for Nietzsche.

It is probably on this point that the existential and Christian postures are most opposed. Christian hope is crystallized in faith3, which summarizes in a single concept the reassuring belief in the eternal life of the soul, the fervor of a meaningful life and the confidence in the Creator.

In Tolkien's writings, hope seems to be the diffuse but omnipresent feature shared by the characters of good. Sam is the always-optimist who, at the end of his hope, tightens his will to continue. Once their mission is accomplished, he still begs Frodo for some effort to find temporarily shelter, even if it seems to delay death only for a few moments. Young Pippin and Merry, for their part, do not see their good humor long dented by the trials: " _These evils can be amended, so strong and gay a spirit is in him. His grief he will not forget, but it will not darken his heart, it will teach him wisdom._ "4 Conversely, it is when they sink into the madness of despair that Grima Wormtongue (despair in love) or Gollum (obsession of the ring) devote themselves to evil without possible return.

Hope also manifests itself in the steadfastness of the characters, led to resist, without knowing whether the hoped help may come. During the episode of the Hornburg, the defenders await the dawn of the third day. It is only at the moment when the defenders prepare a last desperate sortie, when their hope fades away and their will must strengthen at the thought of a final glory, that succor arrives.

Hope also feeds on the "good fortunes" that mark the journey: Elrond predicts to the company that they may receive help under the most unexpected circumstances, which indeed happens (Bombadil, Faramir, etc.).

Of course, love is a powerful lever of hope: Strider - named Estel, hope in Sindarin - keeps in his heart, despite reason, the hope of brighter days to share his love with Arwen. Gimli, for his part, sublimates his platonic passion for the elven Queen Galadriel, surpassing his fathers in works of beauty. Eowyn loses hope, when experiencing unshared love.

Some characters have premonitions, which they share. For example, the hope _"Beyond the shadows we may meet again._ " 5 can be understood in the first degree, as the hope of surviving the next trial, or as a veiled promise of eternal life.

The hero, isolated on enemy ground, is supported by the memory of his dear ones, and perhaps by the certainty that the latter are directing their thoughts of encouragement and hope towards him. Frodo, while his hope is weakening in Shelob's den, seizes Galadriel's vial. His courage is strengthened by the thought of the Lady fighting besides him. This materializes a bright light, which saves him from the ignoble giant spider.

Gandalf's most formidable talent is probably his ability to restore hope. For example, during the siege of Minas Tirith, the white wizard raises the morale of the defenders against the terror of the Nazgûl: _"Wherever he came Men's hearts would lift again, and the winged shadows pass from memory."6_ Undoubtedly the ring Narya contributes to this faculty, but it is obviously not a chance, if Cirdan entrusted this treasure to Gandalf: _"For this is the Ring of Fire, and with it you may rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill."7_

Failing to keep a little hope, if not for himself, at least for his kin and people, the hero in Middle-Earth risks to fall. Thus Denethor, incapable of facing what Sauron's malice shows as his defeat, falls into madness and indulges in unworthy deeds "like pagan kings." Theoden, overwhelmed by the reverses of war, took refuge in a shameful apathy.

The fall of the hero is not to be slain in combat. It is to fail in his duty, to break his word by letting himself despair or succumb to temptation. Thus Boromir escaped the fall, partly by chance: _"He would have stretched out his hand to this thing, and taking it he would have fallen. He would have kept it for his own, and when he returned you would not have known your son."8_ Gandalf tells Denethor.

 **Notes**

1 Text of the conference « L'Existentialisme est un humanisme » in 1946, Jean-Paul Sartre.

2 _«The precise name for this reality would be the will to power, so designated from its internal structure and not from its protean, elusive, fluid nature.»_ Beyond good and evil _,_ § 36 F. Nietzsche

3 _«For by grace you are saved, by faith. And this does not come from you, it is the gift of God.»_ Epistle to the Ephesians, Apostle Paul of Tarsis

4 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book V Chapter Eight – The Houses of Healing

5 Aragorn tells these words to Eowyn, before entering the path of the Dead. The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book V Chapter Two – The Passing of the Gray Company

6 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book V Chapter Four – The Siege of Gondor

7 The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B The Tale of Years

8 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King Book V Chapter Four – The siege of Gondor


	7. The meaning of life

**Existentialism and Christianity in Middle-Earth.**

 **Chiara Cadrich – September 2017 – V1.7**

The meaning of life

For the existentialist1, each individual is capable of defining his own destiny, and is responsible for distancing from the gregarious habits, especially inculcated values and the passive expectation of a supposed destiny. Individual life has only a meaning when given by oneself, within one's limited available time.

On the contrary, the Christian life has a largely predefined meaning: the pursuit of God's will, through the respect of the precepts of the Church2. The freedom granted to the human being is a necessary condition of hell and paradise. Its ultimate stake is eternal life.

In Middle-earth, the will of the Creator is not explicit to ordinary mortals, nor to ordinary immortals, by the way. There is scarcely any explicit prompting to "please Eru Ilùvatar"3 or to respect divine commandments, except in the Council of the Valar. No Tablet of the Law is mentioned. Only the most advanced civilizations - Numenor and its heirs, for example - seem to enjoy a code of formal laws.

Indeed life seems to have a meaning in Middle-Earth: any child of Ilùvatar is to live a dignified existence, freely chosen, taking advantage of happiness and beauty in the world, and contributing as much as possible to its viability, according to his ability. As Gandalf says: _« Yet it is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule._ _»4_

In this respect, the ethics of Tolkien's writings recall the posture of the Greek hero, struggling to lead his life with dignity, without excess, despite the trials wrought by the Gods.

Of course, the inclinations of each free people vary. Hobbits, for example, seek simple pleasures by staying as far as possible away from conflicts. Gondor cultivates the arts and the double heritage of the Elves and Numenor, honoring scholarship, excellence and greatness. Rohan cherishes the freedom of vast meadows for its people and its herds.

The Elves, for their part, often seem to be concerned only with the beauty that remains in the world, when they have not become tired of it. For such is their nature: _"The Quendi shall be the fairest of all earthly creatures and they shall have and shall conceive and bring forth more beauty than all my Children, and they shall have the greater bliss in this world._ "5

About Dwarves, finally, we know only the clan of Durin, who seems, by endless work, to pursue their past splendor, in spite of the numerous reverses suffered - the invasion of Moria by the balrog, an abandonment of Erebor to the Dragon, a decimation of the summoned seven Tribes at the battle of Azalnubizar, etc.

Every free people have their preferences, but it seems that all share a morality of solidarity inside the clan. And all, even the hobbits protected by the rangers, are aware that the search for happiness is tainted by the everlasting threat from wilderland or Mordor.

At the individual level, let us observe the meaning of life for the main characters. The hero is the one who jeopardizes his immediate interest, who makes free use of his gifts for the benefit of a loved one or a higher cause, which enables him to change the course of events. This is the case of Frodo accepting the charge of the Ring, of his friends who devote themselves to him, of Aragorn who spends his life in struggle in the wilderlands, of Eowyn who defends her king, of Eomer who challenges the all-powerful royal councilor, of Gimli and Legolas, who enroll in order not to give the other the honor of enlisting alone, of Boromir traveling to Imladris in search of answers, etc.

The main characters often embody the qualities of their "race" as a whole. The heroic commitment of each character crystallizes the need for honorable accomplishment of his whole genre, whether modest Hobbit, persevering Dwarf, valiant Man, beauty-lover Elf or exalted Dunadan. But this is hardly surprising in this model of Heroic Fantasy! The meaning of their life in Middle-earth, their narrative function is heroism.

Of course, all the inhabitants of Middle-Earth are not heroes, but all may be called to behave like true heroes, for such is the peril at this hour: " _There will be need of valour without renown, for none shall remember the deeds that are done in the last defense of your homes. Yet the deeds will not be less valiant because they are unpraised_."6

 **Notes**

1 Text of the conference « L'Existentialisme est un humanisme » in 1946, Jean-Paul Sartre.

2 After observing the vanity of all actions of men, devoted to death, The Ecclesiast finally recommends: _"Respect God and obey His commandments. Indeed, this is what all human beings must do."_ Ecclesiast 12:13

3 Ilùvatar or Eru, The Unique in Sindarin. The God Creator of the universe in Tolkien's Silmarillion cosmology.

4 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book V, Chapter Nine – The last Debate

5 The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion Chapter One – Of the Beginning of Days

6 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book V, Chapter Two – The Passing of the Grey Company.


	8. Virtue

**Existentialism and Christianity in Middle-Earth.**

 **Chiara Cadrich – September 2017 – V1.7**

Virtue

Virtue, for Sartre, seems to lie in the acceptance of liberty and moral responsibility1. For Nietzsche, it could be first the appetence to power and man's perpetual outstripping2. Adhering to any particular virtue, for existentialism, is a matter of individual aesthetics.

The seven Catholic virtues3 include three theologal virtues - faith, hope and charity. and four cardinal virtues (justice, prudence, strength and temperance). Faith is the ability to believe in the truths revealed by the prophets, beginning with the existence of a single God and the eternal life of the soul. 4 Hope concerns precisely the bliss, especially in paradise. 5 Finally, charity refers to the overabundant love of God for his creatures and the creatures' love for God and others. 6

What traces of theologal virtues can be found in Middle Earth ? They are enhanced in a rather diffuse way.

Faith, in the sense of the belief in the Creator's omnipotence and omniscience, is approached through the teaching of the High Elves. Only the Elves who have seen the light – Calaquendi, this double-meaning was certainly intentional - have been in contact with the Valar and have knowledge of the One. They do not seem to question this teaching, which seems to impose itself naturally on them as a truth. But this absence of "conflict of faith" among the High Elves does not in any way prevent them from falling. Then their lore extended to the Edain and their descendants, the Numenoreans. Their belief in revealed truths seems less certain, since the lies of Morgoth and Sauron are increasingly mixed, which will lead to the submergence of their continent. The other peoples seem to revere a pantheon in which the Valar are sometimes recognizable (Dwarfs venerate Mahal, etc.)

Hope seems the very essence of a good life in Middle-earth. The chapter "Hope" is entirely devoted to it.

As for charity, it is expressed in various ways in the Lord of the Rings.

In the sense of love, comprehension or the aid given to someone in difficulty, the novel offers many examples of solidarity and pity within the Hobbits group, then within the Fellowship of the Ring, and sometimes even towards Gollum, when Frodo or Sam manage to tame him.

In the sense of the help given to the needy, the social system of hobbits, for example, offers a compromise between ownership of the land and taking into account the needs of the humblest: cohabitation of the clans' clientele such as Took or Brandybuck, with a medium-sized property supporting valets and maids like the Cotton or Maggot, and with an extended family solidarity in order to care for the elders and the children.

On the other hand, no form of God's love seems to be evoked beyond a more or less marked propensity of some peoples, to revere certain aspects of Creation - for example, the mysticism of the Elves for beauty or the Hobbits' love for the land.

The seven Catholic virtues also include the four cardinal virtues - justice, prudence, strength and temperance. 7

What are the favored cardinal virtues in Middle-earth? No one will be surprised at the profusion of examples in Pr. Tolkien's work of Heroic Fantasy, illuminating the heroic virtues, although cataloging them would obviously be endless.

To quote an example that assumes them all, here is Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth, a great lord of Numenorean blood. A paragon of nobleness, he gives a moment in the heart of the Pelennor battle, to bow before the remains of Theoden, and another to care for the wounded. Later he supports Aragorn even before the latter claims his rights to the crown. Courteous and moderate, he embodies the qualities of a natural leader, as valorous in time of war as just in time of peace. _"This is a fair lord and a great captain of men," said Legolas. If Gondor has such men still in these days of fading, great must have been its glory in the days of its rising!"8_

Gandalf calls for prudence, in the medieval sense of the term: _"If all the grievances that stand between Elves and Dwarves are to be brought up here, we may as well abandon this council!_ "9

InTthe Hobbit, Dain, beyond his keen political sense, cares about justice when he grants a share of Smaug's treasure to Bard's Men and the Elves. Aragorn mixes equity and love when he banishes Beregond for having shed blood in consecrated places, but grants him to join the guard of Faramir because the misdeed committed had a higher purpose of preserving life against madness.

Eowyn, the shieldmaiden, exclaims: _"Where will wants not, a way opens."10_. Aragorn again illustrates the moral force which keeps free: _"One that cannot cast away a treasure at need is in fetters."11_ Aragorn still takes up the posture of chief courage - existentialist or Christian: _"There are some things that it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark._ "12 Even Merry the Hobbit makes say of him: _"He knows not to what end he rides, yet if he knew, he still would go on."13_

To summarize the necessity of courage, let us pick up the Gaffer, a secondary character speaking in his modest and down-to-earth manner: _"It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish_."14 His son Sam will become, in spite of himself, the hero of the stories that once fascinated him: " _But you've left out one of the chief characters: Samwise the Stouthearted (…) And Frodo wouldn't have gone far without Sam, would he, Dad ?"15_

Of all the heroic qualities in Middle-Earth, courage seems to be the masterful virtue. But in Tolkien's characters, this courage is nourished by the values of solidarity or love, without which it seems vain. Engagement is therefore the trait of Tolkien's heroes, but this courage is altruistic, Christian-inspired, rather than a personal power or existentialist revolt.

Aragorn explains the Dunedain's protective mission for centuries: _"... we would not have it otherwise. If simple folk are free from care and fear, simple they will be, and we must be secret to keep them so. That has been the task of those of my kindred, while the years have lengthened and the grass has grown."16_ The institution of the Rangers of the North is a sort of nursery of the virtues which cultivates in each generation, courage and self-denial.

The sacrifice made for others contains almost its own reward. " _It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them."17_ Explains Frodo to Sam. Especially since the hero sometimes has the premonition of the exorbitant price of his commitment. For example, Halbarad proclaims before the Paths of the Dead: _"This is an evil door, (…) and my death lies beyond it. I will dare to pass it nonetheless."18_

 **Notes**

1 Text of the conference « L'Existentialisme est un humanisme » in 1946, Jean-Paul Sartre.

2 Thus spake Zarathustra, Prologue _« (…) Man is something that must be overcome. That is to say, Man is a bridge and not a term (…) »._ The action of the superman is no longer conditioned by a theological or metaphysical morality (...) but by the consent of his eternal return.

3 Virtues codified in the christian scolastic theology since the Middle Ages. See in particuliar theTheological Sum of Saint Thomas Aquinas as well as the first Epistle to the Corinthians of St. Paul the Apostle: _"Now these three remain, faith (pistis), hope (helpis) and love (or charity, agape), but love is the greatest "._

4 Dei Verbum, 5 : _To God who reveals is owed the "obedience of faith," by which man freely and completely surrenders himself to God in "a complete homage of understanding and will to God who reveals" and in a voluntary assent to the revelation he makes."_

5 Dei Verbum, 14 & 3 : _« …_ _by the promise of redemption, he raised them in the hope of salvation.. »_

6 Dei Verbum, 2 & 14 : _« God, projecting and preparing in the solicitude of his extreme love, the salvation of the whole human race, (…) »_

7 _« What duty of fundamental virtues did these men lack? From these virtues they placed in the first rank the prudence which applies to the discovery of truth, and inspires the desire of a more complete science; in the second rank, the justice which grants its due to each one, does not claim the good of others, neglects one's own utility, in order to safeguard equity between all; in the third place, the force which is distinguished in the activities of war and in peace, by the grandeur and elevation of the soul, and which is marked by physical vigor; in the fourth rank, the temperance which observes moderation and order in everything that we think we ought to do or say.»_ Ambrosius of Milano, The duties, Book 1

8 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book V Chapter Nine – The last Debate

9 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II Chapter Two – The Council of Elrond

10 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book V Chapter Three – The Muster of Rohan

11 The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, Book III Chapter Nine – Flotsam and Jetsam

12 The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, Book III Chapter Two – The Riders of Rohan

13 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book V, Chapter Two - The Passing of the Gray Company

14 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II Chapter Seven – The Mirror of Galadriel

15 The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, Book IV Chapter Eight – The Stairs of Cirith Ungol

16 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II Chapter Two - The Council of Elrond

17 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book VI Chapter Nine – The Gray Havens

18 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book V Chapter Two – The Passing of the Gray Company


	9. Hope

**Existentialism and Christianity in Middle-Earth.**

 **Chiara Cadrich – September 2017 – V1.7**

Hope

Existentialist freedom is a source of anguish ( _angoisse_ ) 1. For it is necessary to choose, completely free and responsible for one's choice, with the risk of engaging third parties, even the human race. Man, alone and without any hope of help in his choice (absence of God and guides), feels a form of abandonment _(délaissement)_. Moreover, it is necessary to choose, and to act, without certainty of success (despair - _désespoir_ ). Under these conditions, one's will2, firm despite despair, becomes a major virtue as for Nietzsche.

It is probably on this point that the existential and Christian postures are most opposed. Christian hope, one of the theologal virtues, is an aspiration towards bliss. This hope presupposes, first of all, faith3, in the reassuring belief in the eternal life of the soul, and confidence in the Creator. The bliss or fervor of a life full of meaning can be reached on Earth, but especially in Paradise.

In Tolkien's writings, hope seems to be the diffuse but omnipresent feature shared by the characters of good. Sam is the always-optimist who, at the end of his hope, tightens his will to continue. Once their mission is accomplished, he still begs Frodo for some effort to find temporarily shelter, even if it seems to delay death only for a few moments. Young Pippin and Merry, for their part, do not see their good humor long dented by the trials: " _These evils can be amended, so strong and gay a spirit is in him. His grief he will not forget, but it will not darken his heart, it will teach him wisdom._ "4 Conversely, it is when they sink into the madness of despair that Grima Wormtongue (despair in love) or Gollum (obsession of the ring) devote themselves to evil without possible return.

Hope also manifests itself in the steadfastness of the characters, led to resist, without knowing whether the hoped help may come. During the episode of the Hornburg, the defenders await the dawn of the third day. It is only at the moment when the defenders prepare a last desperate sortie, when their hope fades away and their will must strengthen at the thought of a final glory, that succor arrives.

Hope also feeds on the "good fortunes" that mark the journey: Elrond predicts to the company that they may receive help under the most unexpected circumstances, which indeed happens (Bombadil, Faramir, etc.).

Of course, love is a powerful lever of hope: Strider - named Estel, hope in Sindarin - keeps in his heart, despite reason, the hope of brighter days to share his love with Arwen. Gimli, for his part, sublimates his platonic passion for the elven Queen Galadriel, surpassing his fathers in works of beauty. Eowyn loses hope, when experiencing unshared love.

Some characters have premonitions, which they share. For example, the hope _"Beyond the shadows we may meet again._ " 5 can be understood in the first degree, as the hope of surviving the next trial, or as a veiled promise of eternal life.

The hero, isolated on enemy ground, is supported by the memory of his dear ones, and perhaps by the certainty that the latter are directing their thoughts of encouragement and hope towards him. Frodo, while his hope is weakening in Shelob's den, seizes Galadriel's vial. His courage is strengthened by the thought of the Lady fighting besides him. This materializes a bright light, which saves him from the ignoble giant spider.

Gandalf's most formidable talent is probably his ability to restore hope. For example, during the siege of Minas Tirith, the white wizard raises the morale of the defenders against the terror of the Nazgûl: _"Wherever he came Men's hearts would lift again, and the winged shadows pass from memory."6_ Undoubtedly the ring Narya contributes to this faculty, but it is obviously not a chance, if Cirdan entrusted this treasure to Gandalf: _"For this is the Ring of Fire, and with it you may rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill."7_

Failing to keep a little hope, if not for himself, at least for his kin and people, the hero in Middle-Earth risks to fall. Thus Denethor, incapable of facing what Sauron's malice shows as his defeat, falls into madness and indulges in unworthy deeds "like pagan kings." Theoden, overwhelmed by the reverses of war, took refuge in a shameful apathy.

The fall of the hero is not to be slain in combat. It is to fail in his duty, to break his word by letting himself despair or succumb to temptation. Thus Boromir escaped the fall, partly by chance: _"He would have stretched out his hand to this thing, and taking it he would have fallen. He would have kept it for his own, and when he returned you would not have known your son."8_ Gandalf tells Denethor.

 **Notes**

1 Text of the conference « L'Existentialisme est un humanisme » in 1946, Jean-Paul Sartre.

2 _«The precise name for this reality would be the will to power, so designated from its internal structure and not from its protean, elusive, fluid nature.»_ Beyond good and evil _,_ § 36 F. Nietzsche

3 _«For by grace you are saved, by faith. And this does not come from you, it is the gift of God.»_ Epistle to the Ephesians, Apostle Paul of Tarsis

4 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book V Chapter Eight – The Houses of Healing

5 Aragorn tells these words to Eowyn, before entering the path of the Dead. The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book V Chapter Two – The Passing of the Gray Company

6 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book V Chapter Four – The Siege of Gondor

7 The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B The Tale of Years

8 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King Book V Chapter Four – The siege of Gondor


	10. A christian existentialism in Arda ?

**Existentialism and Christianity in Middle-Earth.**

 **Chiara Cadrich – September 2017 – V1.7**

A Christian Existentialism in Middle-Earth?

The atheist posture is hardly compatible with the theological influences underlying the Lord of the Rings, even if considering the narratives of the first and second ages1, as a mythical background elaborated by elven and human societies.

Let us then explore a Christian alternative to atheist existentialism. Kierkegaard's approach, for example, attempts a synthesis between the existence of God and the humanist posture. In this approach2, the universe is essentially paradoxical, like the transcendent union of God and the human in the person of Christ. Seeking a personal relationship with God is superior to any standard morality, and all the more to any tradition established to promote it, by any social structure (church, monasticism, etc.). To follow social conventions, or not, is no more than a personal aesthetic choice.

Is this approach applicable in Middle-Earth?

Arda is a universe of balance - between the transcendent single Creator and his creatures, between the Valar and the "renegade Maïar", between an initial ideal of the world and the wounds imposed by Morgoth, between the various thinking and free species that populate it, and finally between a predestined vision of the world, and an open end, at least for some of its creatures. This multiple equilibrium, cosmic and mythical, seems to be qualified as paradoxical.

Moreover, the morality elaborated by the free peoples is articulated around freedom and courage - individual and shared. We have few instances of spirituality among the heroes of Tolkien, except sometimes in their praises to beauty and to the Valier who preside there3. But it must be admitted that their commitment and their values surpass the contingency of established norms: Frodo leaves the Shire, like his uncle "Baggins-the-fool" formerly, condemned by the well-thinking hobbits. Eowyn rejects her assigned role as a princess. Strider braves the ditch between Elves and Men. Legolas the Sinda Elf gets involved with Gimli the Dwarf, and so on.

Finally, Middle-Earth - at least among the free peoples - seems exempt from organized worship. Tolkien carefully avoids any priestly character, as a depository and promoter of dogmas and rites. One of the few allusions that resemble a cult is the procession organized in Numenor, to climb the sacred peak of the Meneltarma. The King, a thaumaturgical intermediary, gave thanks for the blessings of the Creator. Gandalf leads Aragorn into an _"ancient hallow"_ where they find an offspring of the White Tree of Gondor.4 Another indication is given by the funerary practices that can be assumed from the tombs of Rath Dinen at Minas Tirith, 5, or from the barrow mounds in front of Edoras. Even the few allusions to dark cults are rather light, as in Akallabeth6 - the temple of Morgoth on Numenor - or about the oath of the Oath-Breakers: _"But when Sauron returned and grew in might again, Isildur summoned the Men of the Mountains to fulfil their oath, and they would not: for they had worshipped Sauron in the Dark Years."7_

Of course there are the five wizards sent from the Valar to restore the balance within a Middle-Earth besieged by a renegade Maia. Dismissing Allatar and Palando, about whom we know almost nothing, we must note that Gandalf, Radagast and Saruman - before the latter turns many-coloured - use very different ways of implementing – and maybe interpreting - the will of Eru, apart from any religious structure. They are emissaries acting by encouragement, not prophets praising God, and still less priests.

Gandalf - Mithrandir, the Gray Pilgrim in Sindarin - wanders where need takes him, counsels, guides and incites to action. Radagast struggles by supporting the forces of nature. Saruman explores the means of power, which will lose him. His fall, as chief of the order, stresses the paramount importance of freedom and responsibility. The role of wizards seems to be limited to awakening, promoting and supporting the fundamental qualities of human beings - and hobbits! - freedom and will, in the tradition of the virtues of compassion and honor.

We imagine the posture of Gandalf, spokesman of the free peoples promoted as White Wizard at the critical moment, as emblematic of Tolkien's conceptions. Whatever the latter may have thought of Christian existentialism, this thesis seems to account for the fundamental values advocated by his hero (his herald?).

 **Notes**

1 The Silmarillion, Ainulindale, Tale of the creation of the world by a unique God and The Silmarillion, Akallabeth, submersion de Numenor as a divine punishment.

2 Upbuilding discourses, Philosophical Fragments, Concept of Anxiety. Kierkegaard.

3 Valier, f pl : queens of the Valar. Varda Queen of the stars, Yavanna Queen of nature, etc.

4 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King,Book VI Chapter Five – The Steward and the King

5 The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, Book III Chapter Two – The Riders of Rohan and The Return of the King, Book V Chapter Seven – The Pyre of Denethor.

6 The Silmarillion, Akallabeth : the drowning of Numenor.

7 The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book V Chapter Two – The Passing of the Gray Company


	11. Creatures of essence and of existence

**Existentialism and Christianity in Middle-Earth.**

 **Chiara Cadrich – September 2017 – V1.7**

Creatures of essence and existence

The Elven Lords have achieved, in the past, deeds of will and freedom. Fëanor refusing to sacrifice one of the Silmarils in order to restore the two primordial light-giving trees, chooses selfishness against altruism, for the artefact is a part of himself. He freely makes a very engaging choice, which defines his priorities and his morality - very existentialist in short. But the consequences of his choice take on cosmic dimensions. The Valar find a solution to the death of the trees without the help of their light captured in the Silmarils, leading to the genesis of the sun and the moon. Thus the range of possibilities is reduced for the world, for never again will the origin of light be called into question in the Tolkiennian cosmos, as it had been before1. The order of the world changes, or more exactly the essence of the world becomes more precise, freezes a little more.

Then fate gets tougher on the Elf Lord but also on his people, when his masterpiece, a part of himself, is stolen by a spirit of the void. Fëanor, followed by his sons, swears then to take it back, even if the universe would stand against him - the offense gets worse. For this oath soon becomes an abominable crime, when the Noldor slaughter the Teleri who refuse to assist them in this quest. Then follows the litany of misfortunes of the first age. Precipitating the essence of the world through excessive decisions and actions - too much freedom, or too much egoism? - results in a colossal sanction.

In the second age, the pattern repeats itself: the seduction of Sauron leads to their loss the Elves of Eregion, creators of the rings of power, forged to preserve beauty from the attacks of time. Never again will the Elves be able to create such marvelous objects. Their essence asserts itself more and more, as the people with formidable works, that is which invented artefacts in the past, without ever repeating the exploit. The Dark Lord, by turning away the use of the rings, lure the lords of the Free Peoples with an existential, if not existentialist choice: a form of eternal slavery under cover of immortality.

Then again the corrupting influence of Sauron is raging, this time on a human society, Numenor, pupil and friend of the Elves. Its kings commit the crime of incest -Ar-Pharazon forcibly marries his cousin Tar Miriel - and assails the Valar. Men are haunted by the ghost of death. A corrupt Numenor that tries to overthrow the world order by conquering immortality, is then submerged. Arda finds itself shrinked, wrapped on itself, and the way to the Immortal Lands becomes inaccessible to any other ship than those of Cirdan. The spherical shape of the Earth is now fixed irrevocably, its essence more closely bound.

The Elves, at the time of the War of the Ring, deceived too many times by the Dark Lord, will not be tricked by his lies any more. Most Elves are tired of pursuing a struggle which they consider vain, and long for the Immortal Lands. The Eldar, with declining strengths, seem to have exhausted their capacity to reinvent the world, to renew its beauty. Their "existential capital" is largely undermined by the creative profusion of the previous ages, and may have been lessened because of the crimes perpetrated by the Noldor.

The Silmarillion, in a context marked by an Elven domination, states: _"For the less even as for the greater, there is some deed that he may accomplish, but once only, and in that deed his heart shall rest_."2 In Middle-earth, the fulfillment of the Elves takes place in works of beauty, both from the hand and the spirit, but the affliction of evil reduces the capacity of the authors to produce other masterpieces. When Haldir declares, _"The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places. But still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater_."3, the Galadhrim marks the visceral need of the Elves for beauty, the regret of immaculate origins, undefiled by evil. The elven essence asserts itself in the course of their existence and is never so strong - the deep love of beauty - as when the Elves give it up in Middle-earth.

Thus the Elves, tired of facing eternally evils engendered by the choices of former times, voluntarily consent to withdraw:

" _(…) When the One has gone, the Three will fail, and many fair things will fade and be forgotten_.

 _\- Yet all the Elves are willing to endure this chance,' said Glorfindel, 'if by it the power of Sauron may be broken, and the fear of its dominion be taken away for ever."4_

The Elves had the opportunity to exercise their free will, they used it with pride, and assumed heavy consequences. Now they are dwindling, renouncing the rebellious and creative flamboyances and to go beyond themselves, their nature freezes. The High Elves have nothing more to accomplish that has not been done. They bow and accept the forgiveness of the Valar, joining both the secular dwelling of their people and their assigned essence. The Lady of Lorien summarized it thus: _"I will diminish, and go into the west, and remain Galadriel."5_

What about men? At the end of the third age, the human race emancipated itself from its childhood bathed in Elvish wonders and the myths of creation, while the beings of light, witnesses and actors of the first ages of the world, disappear.

The Earth, freed as much as possible from the consequences of the choices of the Elves, is gradually put into human hands. Then in this field, free at last of any destiny, the short-life (short-sighted?) mortal can exercise his right - his duty! - of freedom and courage, supported by his instinct of solidarity.

" _But to the Atani I will give a new gift. Therefore he willed that the hearts of Men should seek beyond the world and should find no rest therein. But they should have a virtue to shape their life, amid the powers and chances of the world, beyond the Music of the Ainur, which is as fate to all things else, and of their operation everything should be, in form and deed, completed, and the world fulfilled unto the last and smallest."6_ The latitude granted to mankind is immense: nothing limits the human being, his destiny lies beyond what has been written - or sung, in this case. Everything that will happen to the world will be their doing and the Humans will define the nature of the world! And if the actions of Men must ultimately participate in the glory of the Creator, mankind is not aware of it, so that its freedom remains intact.

But Men, deceived by the lies of the Dark Lord, undergo the anguish of death. For death and the fate of humans remain a mystery, even for the Valar. The unknown terrorizes and the separation is an insurmountable pain: _"For if this is indeed, as the Eldar say, the gift of the One to Men, it is bitter to receive."7_ mourns Arwen, who revolts on the threshold of her husband's death.

Yet it is no longer time for Aragorn to exercise his so absolute freedom, for " _it is one with this gift of freedom, that the children of Men dwell only a short space in the world alive, and are not bound to it, and depart soon whither the Elves know not, whereas the Elves remain until the end of days."8_

What exactly is this "gift of death" granted to humans by the Creator, in complete opposition to the fate of the Elves? Could it be the grace of not enduring indefinitely declining beauty? Or the ability to conserve during one's short life, the fierce sense of freedom and the wholeness of a creative desire? Or a form of forgiveness, enabling Man not to face eternally the consequences of his choices, even leaving them as an inheritance to his descendants?

Unless it is simply the blessing of a right to oblivion, a second chance. But whatever may be the gift of death in the end, it presupposes that, in order for the human being to benefit from it during his lifetime, he maintains a superior confidence in the designs of the Creator.

Aragorn supports Arwen with words of hope - _"In sorrow we must go, but not in despair. Behold! We are not bound for ever to the circles of the world. And beyond them is more than memory!"9_ \- but the King does not depart from his resolution. Elessar, "last king of the elder days", appoints the hour of his departure, the supreme choice preserving his dignity, existentialist but fully adhering to the Christian hope of a post-mortem life...

And perhaps the gift of the Creator, granted in return for the brevity of human life, is the extreme prolongation of this human freedom: the faculty of inventing one's destiny beyond death outside the framework of Arda, freed from the faults and contingencies of the flesh and the past.

Paradoxically, the Christian promise of a life after death makes men creatures of Existence, by postponing their end. For the secrecy surrounding the future of this departure, grants it a potential for existential freedom.

 **Notes**

1 First of all the lamps Illuin and Ormal, destroyed by Morgoth, then the trees Laurelin and Telperion in Valinor, hewn down and drained by Ungoliant the spider of void, and finally Anar and Isil, their last fruits – the sun and the moon - placed in the sky. The Silmarilion.

2 The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter Nine – Of the flight of the Noldor.

3 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II Chapter Six – Lothlorien

4 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II Chapter Two – The Council of Elrond.

5 The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II Chapter Seven – The Mirror of Galadriel

6 The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter One – Of the Beginning of Days

7 The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A – Fragments of the tale of Aragorn and Arwen

8 The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter One – Of the Beginning of Days

9 The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A – Fragments of the tale of Aragorn and Arwen


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